Semua Bab A BEAUTIFUL KIND OF WRONG: Bab 21 - Bab 30

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONECarla called on a Friday morning."We need to talk," she said. "All of us. Tonight at the apartment. No restaurant. No work. Just family."Lucas looked at Owen when he hung up the phone."This sounds bad," Owen said."It probably is," Lucas said. "They know something. Carla always sounds like this when she knows something she's not supposed to know."They arrived at the apartment above Roots at six o'clock. Miguel was already there. Carla was setting out food. Marco was sitting by the window, watching the street below."Sit," Carla said. It wasn't a request.Everyone sat around the small kitchen table. Lucas and Owen together. Miguel is across from them. Carla is at the head. Marco in his wheelchair positioned himself where he could see everyone."We need to talk about what happened," Carla said. "About Mercer. About the blackmail. About why you two suddenly got back together and started acting as if nothing had ever fallen apart."Lucas didn't answer."I want to kn

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE They moved into the new apartment on a Saturday in October. It wasn't far from Roots. Just three blocks away. Two bedrooms. A real kitchen. Windows that looked out at the street below. It wasn't fancy, but it was theirs. Owen and Lucas carried boxes up the stairs together. Rosa helped. Miguel helped. Even Carla came by after her shift to unpack kitchen supplies. By evening, the apartment was organized. Not perfect. But functional. Owen's books are on the shelves. Lucas's cooking equipment is in the kitchen. Their clothes hang in the same closet. When everyone left, Owen and Lucas sat on the floor of their bedroom surrounded by empty boxes. "We live together," Owen said. "We do," Lucas said. "In an apartment that's not above the restaurant." "Is that bad?" Lucas asked. "No," Owen said. "It's good. It's normal. It's what normal couples do." Lucas pulled Owen close. They sat on the floor in the dark, not bothering to turn on the lights. "I'm st

CHAPTER TWENTY- FIVE Sarah called Owen on a Wednesday morning. "I'm getting married," she said without preamble. "And I want you and Lucas to come to the wedding. I want you to meet David. He's good. He's kind. He's nothing like my ex-husband." Owen heard the smile in her voice. "I'm so happy for you," Owen said. "Tell me everything." Sarah told him about David. About how they'd met at the bookstore six months ago. About how he'd asked her out three times before she'd said yes. About how patient he was. How present. How he loved her without trying to own her. "He knows about you," Sarah said. "About how you helped me survive my grief. I told him everything. And he was just grateful. He was grateful that I had someone in my corner." The wedding was scheduled for February. A small ceremony. Thirty people. At a vineyard outside the city. Owen and Lucas bought new clothes. Owen practiced his speech as the best man. Lucas offered to cater the reception, but Sarah insisted he

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:The wedding was small. Fifty people. At Roots.They'd decorated the restaurant with flowers and lights. White and gold. Simple elegance. The kitchen had been transformed into a space where Rosa and Miguel worked together to prepare the food. Sarah stood with Owen as his best woman. David stood with Lucas as his best man.Owen wore a suit that fit perfectly. Navy blue. White shirt. A tie that Sarah had picked out. Lucas wore one that matched but in charcoal gray. They looked like two men who'd found their way home.The ceremony was short. A judge whom Patricia had recommended. Someone who understood their story. Someone who'd seen them fight.The vows were simple but they'd taken weeks to write. Owen and Lucas had spent nights working on them. Crossing things out. Adding things back. Trying to capture everything they felt.Owen spoke first, his voice steady. "I came into your restaurant looking for a meal. I left with a life. You showed me what it meant to be chos

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINEThe paperwork arrived on a Tuesday.Owen opened the manila folder at the kitchen table. Three inches thick. Forms. Questions. Essays about why they wanted to be parents.Lucas came home from the restaurant and saw it spread across the table."This is it," Lucas said."This is it," Owen confirmed.They started that night. Lucas read questions aloud while Owen wrote answers. By midnight they were both exhausted but they kept going. The question was simple: Describe your relationship and why you believe it's strong enough to raise a child.Owen wrote: "We've survived things that should have destroyed us. We've chosen each other through crisis and fear and betrayal. We know how to fight. We know how to stay."Lucas read it and pulled Owen up from the chair. He kissed him hard against the table."That's perfect," Lucas said.Owen pushed him toward the bedroom. They moved fast. Lucas shoved Owen against the wall and Owen grabbed his shirt, ripping buttons. Lucas laughed